Liveaboard Diving in Chandelier Caves

What to expect on a Chandelier Caves liveaboard

Liveaboards to Chandelier Caves are perfect for divers who are looking for a real cave diving experience. The Chandelier Caves are a system of five caverns connected by cave channels. Four out of five caves are filled with water, all with air pockets, and available for SCUBA diving in. They are located off the coast of Koror; the largest city of Palau, one of the main areas in the country of Micronesia located in the western Pacific Ocean.

These caves were created thanks to many years of erosion of this limestone island, named Ngarol, and after the most recent ice age, the water rose and filled up four out of five of them. The reason for the name Chandelier Caves is that they are filled with stalagmites and stalactites with glimmer when you shine your torch on them, which is a truly beautiful sight. Liveaboards to Chandelier Caves generally visit them as the final stop, due to it being very close to land, and so is perfect for a good final experience.

What You Can See

The fact of the matter is that you will not see much if you do not bring a torch on your Chandelier Caves liveaboard. It is pitch black inside the caves, but when you bring a flashlight you will spot many creatures and interesting structures. The main attractions are the sparkling stalagmites and stalactites which are all over the caves. They have been formed from many years of rain water penetrating the limestone rock of the island and bringing in Calcium Carbonate. This was before the ice age, when the water level was lower and the caves were not filled with water. The walls of these caves are also covered in sponges which inhabit many species of crab and shrimps.

At the entrance of the caves you will swim through schools of sergeant and cardinal fish and on a lucky day, if you are patient, there is a chance to see the unique Mandarin Fish. The floor of the caves is made up of sand and silt, so if disturbed the visibility will get less, but undisturbed, the visibility can be excellent. This is definitely the most unique caves to dive in, in Micronesia.

Getting To Chandelier Caves

This dive site is located in the area of Palau and only 1.6km (1mi) away from the coast of the city of Koror, by the island of Ngarol. It is generally the last dive site that Palau liveaboards visit. A liveaboard is a great way to visit this site because you will have been diving a lot and your confidence will be up before diving in to the darkness. Chandelier Caves liveaboards will depart from the main harbour in Koror called Malikal Harbour, and also return here.

The airport is located on the island of Babeldaob which is connected by a bridge to Koror. The airport is called The Roman Tmetuchl International Airport. There are only five destinations which have outgoing flights to Palau, so you would have to fly to one of these first; Philippines, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan and Guam